Demon's Howl
by Fallen Maiden Of The Boundary
Summary: Hope appears in the form of a white wolf. But this wolf…also symbolises Death? A being that only knows how to kill; can one boy change that? Jiro/OC. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Title: Demon's Howl

Rating: T

Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Character Death in later chapters.

Pairings: Jiro/OC

Summary: Hope appears in the form of a white wolf. But this wolf…also symbolises Death? A being that only knows how to kill; can one boy change that? Jiro/OC

**Chapter 1**

Some people say that demons can't love. They say that it is physically impossible for a demon to show compassion towards anything. I agreed with this theory completely. Because, once upon a time, I was one…

/

I exhaled slowly as I stared downwards, towards my prey. My bright crimson eyes travelled; following my target as he hurried around yet another corner. My teeth bared in a silent snarl, I bided my time, waiting for the perfect moment…

And then I struck.

A short screech of surprise and pain, and it was over. I shook the body back and forth in my jaws; making sure I had snapped his neck. After all; those had been my orders.

_Make it quick. Snap his neck. Don't let anyone see you._

Slowly, my jaws opened, and my prey dropped to the floor.

_Yes, _I decided, _the death was quick…enough. The neck has been snapped through, just like the Master said…and…no one has seen. I sense no humans. Good…_

I glanced down at the man's face. My eyes widened a little; he reminded me of someone I once knew. My heart filled with sadness, and I lifted my head up to the sky, to stare at the crescent moon.

A lone howl pierced the darkness…

/

"Akira! You're back!" I heard surprised voices yelp, and a small smile lit up my features.

"Kuro. Shiro," I greeted, nuzzling the pups with my muzzle. They responded with a group of happy whines and yaps, and choose the time to bite at my fluffy ears with their razor-sharp fangs. I winced a little, but held in my protests; they were just children. They didn't know any better.

"It's been a while, Sister," I heard a familiar voice call, and I turned, to face the owner.

"Yes. It has, Brother," I whispered back, greeting him by rubbing our flanks together. He growled in content, and pushed me away with his muzzle. I sighed as I noticed a claw-like scar running along the length of his muzzle, passing over his left eye.

"Another fight?" I complained, licking the old wound gently, "who with this time?"

"Not one of our pack," he grumbled, turning his face away, "the Nightshades. They attacked us last full moon." 

The fur on the back of my neck began to bristle, and my muzzle pulled back over my jaws to reveal two rows of shiny white fangs.

"The Nightshades?" I snarled, my claws scratching at the hard earth, "those bastards!"

"Easy, Sister. There are children here," my brother murmured, nudging my flank tenderly. I snapped at him; pearly fangs only just missing his ear.

"Don't tell me what I already know!" I growled, before stalking off towards what used to be my den…

/

"Elder. Please. I must know. What happened with-"

"The Nightshades? We managed to fend off all of them, but…just barely. As you can see…there have been many fatalities…" The Elder croaked, motioning to the limp bodies lying next to her.

The Elder was a wise woman; she was like a surrogate mother to both me and my brother. She took us in when we were just pups, and for that I was always grateful.

"Such poor souls. They never even lived to begin with," she murmured, her human hands reaching out to touch one of the dead wolves' muzzles. I stood, growling protectively; even if she was the Elder, I wouldn't let human hands touch them.

"Peace, Akita. I mean no harm," she whispered, showing her hands to me. I sighed, and slowly, sat back down on the floor. My eyes wouldn't leave her hands, however. I still didn't trust her when she was in her Daemon Form.

"…Elder…why do you change?" I asked as she plucked a single hair from one of the wolves' dull coat, examining it with a simple curiosity.

"Change, child? What do you mean?"

"Your…Daemon Form," I winced at the saying, "must you change into that form? You look so much like…the humans," I muttered, my eyes narrowing in disgust as I mentioned the humans.

"Hm…I suppose I could counter your question with one of my own," she mused, her old wrinkled face giving me her interpretation of a grin.

"Why do you change into a peregrine falcon when you want to fly? Or change into a spotted dolphin when you want to swim?" she asked me, and I looked away, muttering out my answer.

"…Experimentation."

"Yes, child! Experimentation! You simply want to know what it feels like to become another being! You've always been such a free spirit; never staying in one place for too long. You're a born wanderer, Akita. You're just like me when I was your age," The Elder chuckled, and I looked back, my eyes widening in shock.

"Really, Elder?"

"Yes, Akita. When I was young, I longed to see the world from a different point of view. So, I used the Daemon's Power to change my form. I chose to fly with the birds, swim with the fish, and walk with the great beasts of the land. Finally, I settled on our forms; the wolf," she explained, her eyes seeming to go murky as she remembered her past. Her past in a human's eyes.

"When my children were born, they too, were wolves. They, however, could not change like me. They were stuck in their wolf bodies, like lost souls trapped in little glass jars," she sighed, pausing to run her hand along one of the wolves' bodies; pulling gently through its pelt with small nails.

"Of course, like any loving mother, I tried to help them. But, no matter how much I tried, they could not shift into a human form. As time passed, I too, gave up all hope. And as my hope dwindled, so did my human form," she whispered, keeping her eyes on the dead wolves.

"I thought all was lost…until you and your brother came along. At first, I couldn't believe my eyes. Two young wolf pups; like opposites, you were. Your brother; strong yet foolish; his pelt a cunning black. And you, Akita; so feeble, yet so brave. Your fur, a shining white. Yes…how different you two were back then…" She explained, her eyes seeming to come back to life.

"As time went on, the entire pack began to notice that you and your brother were…different," she went on, "For one, you didn't seem to hold any desire to be in the pack. You especially preferred to stay by your brother's side; following him around like a lost child," she chuckled, and I growled a little at the reminder. It made me feel weak.

"Yes…you could change. I felt happiness when I saw you change for the first time, Akita. Your brother joined you soon afterwards, and I couldn't help but howl in joy as I watched you flitting around in the skies as swallows," she smiled; her eyes warm like a furnace.

"Seeing two others like me, brought colour back into my black and white life. I felt strong again, and so…I tried. And finally, I could do it. I could cross the void between human and wolf," she ended, sighing. I watched cautiously as a dim light lit up the room, and in the Elder's place, was a dark grey wolf; her fur turning an old-looking silver.

"Some call the Daemon Power a sin, Akita. But believe me; if you can use them for the greater good, then you will gain good things in your life," she said, nudging my flank gently with her old muzzle, "even if the situation appears bleak, just remember; the Daemon Power's aren't a curse, they are a gift."

I nodded, nuzzling into her neck, feeling the blood pulsing weakly in her veins.

"Elder…I'm planning on leaving the pack. I need…to travel the world. I need to know what's out there," I explained, and she smiled.

"Of course, young one. I understand completely. Have you told your brother?"

I shook my head sadly. I hadn't wanted to tell him.

"…Go, Akita. Go explore the world. I will tell him," she said, pushing me away with her muzzle. I padded away from her, towards the exit of her den, before she stopped me.

"But remember, Akita. One day we might need you," she called, and I nodded, and stepped out of her den.

"And I you, Elder," I whispered, before speeding towards the exit to our territory.

"And I you…"

_**Please R & R.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Demon's Howl

Rating: T

Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Character Death in later chapters.

Pairings: Jiro/OC

Summary: Hope appears in the form of a white wolf. But this wolf…also symbolises Death? A being that only knows how to kill; can one boy change that? Jiro/OC

**Chapter 2**

I inched forwards, my senses reeling. I had just caught the scent of a passing deer herd, and I had gone off course to hunt.

I watched in deep concentration as one deer – a young female – wandered away from the group; choosing to trot over to what I guessed was a better piece of grass. My eye studied her, watching her every movement; every twitch her muscles made, every flick of the head or scrap at the ground. My senses were focused on her entirely.

I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't stop myself from edging forwards, just that little bit closer to my prey.

What a fatal mistake that turned out to be.

One of the older deer – a buck, probably the leader – spotted me stalking towards the younger member of his herd, and let out a bellow of terror. In that instant, all heads were dragged from the floor, to stare at my now frozen figure.

_Crap,_ I thought, bracing myself for what was to come.

*.*.*

In that moment, the entire herd bolted; some of their hooves only just missing my muzzle. I spotted the female; she was clearly wounded, with a huge gash running down her hind leg. With an animalistic snarl, I leapt forwards, dodging angry hooves and antlers to reach my target.

The fight didn't last long.

With a growl, I tackled my prey to the ground; my claws digging into the female's flesh, making her cry out in pain. The rest of the herd stood at the edge of the clearing we were currently in; after all, there was nothing they could do now. I had won this kill fair and square. It was the law.

"…Forgive me, friend," I growled, pausing my sentence to grab the deer's throat in my jaws and crunch, breaking through her windpipe, and killing her instantly, "forgive me…"

The deer herd bolted; their bellows of fear echoing off into the distance. But of course, I didn't acknowledge that consciously. After all, the bloodlust was on me, and all I could think about was the kill I had just made.

With a snarl, I ripped apart the carcass, chewing into the still warm flesh. I savoured the taste of the meat sliding down my throat, and my satisfied growls were the only sounds I could hear.

The feast didn't last all that long; the female had been young and quite small, so all of the meat was devoured quickly. My teeth crushed yet another one of the bones; jaws crunching through it to get to the juicy marrow inside.

Once I was satisfied that I would survive at least another day without starving, I lay down next to what was left of the carcass, cleaning myself off. I licked at my bloody paws; my snow-white fur tinged a dark crimson. I wasn't annoyed at all by this; for one, it would clean off easily, and another, I had put up with it ever since I was born, so there was no need for me to get whiny about it now.

*.*.*

My thoughts were interrupted by a large dark grey figure darting out from the cover of the trees, to stand in front of me. I jumped to my feet; claws extending from my paws, hackles rising in anger.

"Chill, will ya? It's me," the figure growled impatiently, and I ceased my snarling, and turned away from the creature.

"What do you want, Isamu?" I muttered, beginning to pad off into the trees. In mere seconds he was in front of me however, blocking my path.

"You left us. Why?" he asked, his dark grey tail flicking from side to side in evident anger. My eyes locked with the large males, and soon enough he was backing away, whimpering in fear.

"That's something you don't need to know. I make my own choices. I don't _need_ to tell you anything!" I snarled back at him, taking a snap at his front legs. He tumbled backwards, landing in a pile on the ground. I stalked forwards, my jaws opening. I really didn't need this right now. I wanted to be alone; couldn't he see that? I didn't need some hormonal teenager tagging along with me and pissing me off!

I was about to pounce on him, when I heard a twig snap behind me. 

"K-Katsumi!" Isamu stuttered in relief and shock, and I turned, to glower at the even larger male that stood behind me.

"…Katsumi," I greeted, stepping away from the young grey wolf. I did not want to make Katsumi angry. That was like begging for death. Nobody insulted the Leader of the Warriors and got away with it.

"Isamu. Why did you disobey me?" Katsumi asked, his voice gentle, but leaking a deadly venom.

"Uh…I…" Isamu stammered, scrambling to his paws.

"I specifically said that no one should go after Akita. Yet, here you are. Why?" he asked again, and Isamu whined, his ears laying flat on his head in fear.

"…I just wanted to check if Akita was safe. That's all," Isamu whimpered, and I growled a little in challenge. Who did he think I was, a child?

"…Get out of here, kid. Make sure it doesn't happen again," Katsumi murmured, and Isamu wasted no time in darting away, tail between his legs.

*.*.*

"You gave the kid quite a scare, Katsumi. He was pissing himself!" I joked lightly, and the male chuckled, his dark crimson fur moving gracefully with him.

"He deserved it. Kid needs to toughen up. Get like you," he replied, and I chose not to answer his previous statement. Flattery would get him nowhere.

"…Why have you come after me?" I murmured, and Katsumi sighed, before slumping down to the ground.

"…I have a mission for you," he whispered, and I sighed.

"I guess I should start calling you Master again, shouldn't I?" I growled, and he shook his head, surprisingly serious.

"That's not necessary. This isn't an assassination this time. I want you to do some spying," he explained, and I gave him a look of confusion.

"Rumours have been floating around. It's said that the Nightshades have allied with Nene," Katsumi muttered, his claws digging into the ground. I growled as I heard the name. Nene. So he was behind the attacks.

"That would make sense. I mean, now that the Nightshades have sided with the Daemons, I mean…those…Shadow Wielders…" I hissed, my teeth bared as I growled.

"The Gran Kingdom army…" Katsumi whispered, and I stopped my growling, and listened.

"That's who the Nightshades have sided with. The army run by Nene himself. Disgusting…" he told me, and I nodded mutely.

"…Which is why I want you to do some spying," stated Katsumi, standing up, to stare down at me.

"On who? The Gran Kingdom army? You know that's a fool's errand, Katsumi. I wouldn't even be able to get close to Nene. The Nightshades would know my scent. I would-"

"Which is exactly why you're not going to be spying on the Gran Kingdom army. There have been more rumours going around than just bad ones. They say that the Seven Soldiers of Light have returned. The true Shadow Wielders," Katsumi explained, and my eyes widened. So they had returned.

"We have located their whereabouts; just below the peaks of the Gul Mountains. It's not too far. I want you to observe. Do not engage the subjects in battle. We don't know what they're capable of yet. Keep out of sight, and as animalistic as possible. We do not want them knowing about our existence. Is that understood?" Katsumi asked, and I nodded, stretching out my tired limbs.

"Yes. I'll leave right away… And, Katsumi…tell my Brother…that I will see him soon," I whispered, and he nodded, nudging against my flank.

"I will. Now go," he muttered, and with a howl, I leapt forwards, into the forest, and towards the Gul Mountains…

*.*.*

"It's too late for us to start ascending the peaks now. We'll set up camp here and continue in the morning. Shu, Jiro, you go collect firewood. Marumaro; you and Saber Tiger come and help me with getting food. Kluke and Buuke, you set up the beds," a woman's voice echoed through the rocks of the Gul Mountains. I paused; my paw hovering in mid-step. Were these the people I was supposed to be spying on?

I padded silently through the mountains; my white fur turning a light grey in the darkness of the night. I heard voices coming towards me, and I froze in my position; only moving when the voice's owners came into view.

The voices belonged to two boys; one around 16, and the other around 17. The younger of the two was running ahead, his face a determined mask. The boy trailing behind had a calm yet slightly annoyed look on his face.

"Shu, stop fooling around!" the older boy said, his voice hard. The younger boy, whose name I guessed was Shu turned, showing off an angered expression.

"I'm not fooling around, Jiro! I'm looking for firewood!" Shu countered, making Jiro stalk up to him angrily.

"It looks like it! All you've done today is slow us down! We would have made it over the peaks if it hadn't have been for you and your constant whining!" Jiro yelled, and I moved to the side a little, to move away. This was going to get ugly. I could tell. And if the kids were Shadow Wielders, then I didn't want to stick around and find out what they were capable of.

I cringed as my paw came into contact with a twig; the added weight making it snap loudly.

_Shit. Crap. Fuck,_ I thought, watching as the boy's heads turned in my direction.

"Who's there?" the boy called Jiro yelled, drawing his sword. I was about to step out from the cover of the rocks, to show that I meant them no harm, until Katsumi's voice rang in my head.

_Act as animalistic as possible. _

Right. So, I wasn't allowed to act like a human would? Great. Looks like I had to do this the hard way.

With a snarl, I leapt from the cover of the rocks, my claws sharp and ready to tear. My instinct took over, and I tackled the older boy to the floor. I felt his sword rake along my flank, and I grabbed it, and tossed it away, growling menacingly.

…_Wait, I'm not allowed to engage them in a fight, am I? SHIT!_

I felt blood beginning to pour from my wound, and a thought popped into my head. I could make this work to my advantage.

With a whine, I leapt off of the boy and towards the cover of the rocks again. When my back was turned, I collapsed, yowling in false pain.

"Hey! It's hurt! Jiro, look what you did!" I heard Shu yell out, and I felt the vibrations of his footfalls as he ran towards me. I growled in warning; no matter how close I had to be to them, I would not allow a human to touch me. Shadow Wielder or not.

"…What is it? A dog?" Shu whispered, his hand outstretched, about to touch my fur. If he did, he would seriously regret it.

"Don't touch it!" I heard Jiro cry out, and Shu's had was pulled away from my pelt. I breathed a sigh of relief; disguising it as a pant.

"That's not a dog," Jiro muttered, his eyes scanning my form, "Shu, get Zola." 

With a nod, Shu jumped up, and ran off in the direction they had come.

*.*.*

"Where did you come from?" Jiro muttered, his hand moving towards my muzzle. My jaws opened, to reveal two rows of very sharp fangs.

"…I won't hesitate to kill you, if you attack me," he hissed back, surprisingly bitter towards me. I attempted to stand up; whimpering in pain. With a flick of my tail, I began to limp towards the cover of the rocks; anything to get away from the horrid human stench.

"…I know you can understand me, wolf," he said suddenly, and I froze, my breath like smoke in the late evening air. I turned to glare at the boy; my bright crimson eyes boring into his emotionless azure ones.

"You've lost a lot of blood. If you don't get healed soon, you'll die."

Foolish human boy. I can't die.

"So stay here. Get healed."

My vision began to go blurry, as I realised just how much blood I had actually lost. Too much, obviously, because I didn't even manage to feel the sharp pain as my head hit the ground with a loud thud…

*.*.*

_**Please R & R.**_

_**This story is set in the anime. The ages, however, are the same as in the game. You'll find out why later.**_

_**Some people may think that a wolf's teeth are meant for piercing flesh. The word fangs are commonly used to describe a wolf's teeth. This however, is not true. A wolf's teeth are designed for crushing, not biting. They crush through bone; this is how they kill. This is why wolves are so powerful. They look cute and cuddly sometimes, but they do have a savage side. This is what I was trying to portray in this chapter, and probably the next one too. Think of Akita as a wild wolf; untamed and dangerous. **_

_**Jiro might be slightly OOC in some parts, because I want Akita to bring out a side of Jiro that no one else will see. A tender side. **_

_**Thank you very much for taking your time to read this chapter. I hope you will join me for chapter 3.**_


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Demon's Howl

Rating: T

Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Character Death in later chapters.

Pairings: Jiro/OC

Summary: Hope appears in the form of a white wolf. But this wolf…also symbolises Death? A being that only knows how to kill; can one boy change that? Jiro/OC

**Chapter 3**

"A wolf?"

My dreams were interrupted by a loud voice right next to my ears. I twitched a little; unhappy about getting woken up by such a loud thing.

"Shu, you're gonna spook it!" A female voice scolded, and I growled a little in anger. That boy. That boy who had tried to touch me. He was here.

"Geez! Sorry Kluke! I'm sorry I nearly scared the thing that-"

"Tried to kill you? It was protecting itself, you idiot!" The girl yelled, and I couldn't help but cringe. He was really getting it handed to him.

"That's enough you two. Shu, I think it would be best if you left for a while," another female voice sighed, her voice a lot deeper than the other girls.

"Leave? Why?"

"…It can hear you."

My ears twitched in recognition. That voice; who did it belong to?

"Huh? What do you mean it can hear me? Stop talking nonsense, Jiro!"

That's it. The boy who had talked to me. His name was Jiro.

"Shu, you're really starting to piss me off!" I heard Jiro mutter under his breath, and I let out a little chuckle.

_Go on,_ I tempted in my thoughts, _attack him. It would serve him right!_

"If only I could…" I heard Jiro murmur almost silently, and I let out a startled yelp. Had he…just heard what I had said?

"Wake up, mutt! Wake up so I can teach you a lesson!" I heard Shu yell angrily, and my instincts took over. In seconds I had pinned the boy to the ground, my teeth bared, my tail swished violently from side to side in warning.

"Try me, Boy. I have no patience for filth like you!" I growled, and he froze, his eyes wide in fear.

"…Y-You tal-"

"Talked? Of course I did, you imbecile. Do you really think that a wolf like me was ordinary?" I snarled, my teeth moving closer to his throat. He began to tremble beneath me, and I paused, watching in satisfaction as he whimpered.

My happiness was rudely interrupted by something long and sharp being pressed into my flank; not hurting, but definitely making its existence known. My head turned, to see a female with long silver hair and a bandana staring me down, her sword digging into my side. I glared at her, but backed off nonetheless.

"You ought to think yourself lucky, kid. If your friend hadn't have been here, I _would_ have killed you," I sighed, sitting down and licking my paw absentmindedly.

"The hell you say? You've got a big mouth for a lone mutt!" Shu countered, and I stood, shaking out my pelt.

"Touché," I muttered, and he gave me a confused look.

"…Wha?"

"…never mind…" I growled shoving past him, towards a less crowded area of the clearing we were currently in.

"Hey! Get back here!" I heard Shu yell, and I paused as I felt the vibrations of his footfalls as he ran towards me.

"Shu! Don't!" I heard the silver-haired woman call out, but it was too late. I swung round and launched myself at him, crushing his arm in my jaws. He cried out in evident pain, but I continued to clamp onto him; refusing to let go.

*.*.*

"AH! B-Blue Dragon!" Shu cried, and I was blown back as his form began to glow an azure blue. It looked a bit like a blue flame had enveloped him.

"W-What?" I growled in astonishment, as his shadow began to grow; lifting up from the ground into the air. The Shadow mutated; seeming to grow arms, a chest, and a head. I jumped back in shock as the Shadow let out a roar. So…he had it? This _idiot_ controlled the Blue Dragon?

As soon as the Shadow's blood red eyes locked with my own, I felt my blood run cold. Yep. I had definitely overdone it this time.

"Shu! Stop it!" I heard the woman yell out, and in moments, another Shadow joined the fight. This one was in the shape of a bat; its dark wings sending a large gust of wind our way. I jumped; the force missing me easily. Shu however, was lifted off of his feet by the wind. His back struck the ground hard, and he yelled out in obvious pain. I cocked my head to the side in confusion. They were a team; why were they fighting?

*.*.*

I guessed I had never thought about it before, but I didn't really know how a human pack worked. A wolf pack got along no matter the cost; it was an easy price to pay when you lived constantly on the edge of danger. Survival in numbers. That's what our pack had believed in, and I didn't have any reason not to believe it as well, except when I went out on my own to do my missions. I wasn't willing to get any other members of my pack involved in my own affairs.

I padded over to the silver-haired woman, my actions now set on questioning; not attacking. I could tell she was on edge; the tension in the air was almost thick enough to cut.

"…Why did you stop him?" I asked, keeping my distance from both Shu and the woman, "he's one of your own."

The woman paused; her cold blue eyes assessing me. I stared back; not willing to back down. I was the superior being here; Shadow Wielder or not, I still had the upper hand.

"…Shu's a good fighter, but he acts impulsively. He can overdo it sometimes…he knows this," the woman answered, her head turning to the side to watch as Shu struggled to his feet. A young girl with light brown hair and olive green eyes came dashing over to him, and helping him up. Her eyes were filled with worry. I guessed that they were mates.

"But why did you stop him? If he's such a great fighter, then he could have finished me off easily-"

"He needs to learn to control himself. Getting angry over every little thing isn't going to make him stronger. It will make him unreliable; a burden to the group. He needs to be taught this," the woman countered, putting her sword away and walking towards me. I backed off, growling in alarm and warning.

"Stay where you are. I can talk; that much is true. But I'm still wild. I'm not tame like you!"

"Whoever said we were tame?"

"…Huh?"

My eyes widened as the woman turned, to motion towards the young group of teenagers. It was true, in a sense. Their aura; it had a certain...similarity to my own.

*.*.*

Even with my ability to change my form, I did still have the instincts of a wolf. Wolves are usually very shy creatures, but their senses are acute. The pack in which I was from could pick up on someone's emotions just by looking them in the eye. I could do this also. However, because of my frowned upon power, I could also _see _a person's aura. I hated this power. No matter how much I wanted to get away from it, it would never leave. No matter how far I ran, it was always there. In every living creature, there was aura. It was like…I was trying to run away from the whole planet.

*.*.*

The aura I could see was kind of like a colour chart. If a person was angry, their form would be tinged with red. If sad, then a dark blue. These kids…their aura was a light brown, except for one boy – Jiro – who was a little bit darker than the others. My aura was extremely similar to theirs; more so Jiro's than the others. Did this mean that they were truly wild?

I shook my head a little. No, of course not. These kids were simply on a journey. They didn't know the meaning of the word 'wild'…but, what about the woman? Did she know? She seemed a lot more…understanding of me.

I glanced at the woman from the corner of my eye, to check out her aura. I stepped back in shock. Her aura – it was almost darker than my own. Was she truly wild? And why was there that tinge of black? Was she after revenge?

*.*.*

"You...your past is a troubling one," I stated, turning to face the woman, "perhaps we have more in common than I'd like to think. But you…these _children_…why are you here?" I questioned, circling the woman, staring at her form intensely.

"We are here to get stronger. We all have the same goals; to defeat Lord Nene. To do this, we are going to gain more power," she answered immediately, and I paused, wincing a little as the spot in which Jiro's sword had pierced me a while ago began to throb uncomfortably.

"How so? By training? Nene – curse his name – can't be defeated by one adult and…5 children?" I countered, glancing a little in confusion at a strange-looking…creature that was sitting next to Shu and the girl who had helped him. To be honest, I wasn't really sure how old the thing was.

"Which is why we are going to get the Extra Seven."

"The Extra Seven…from the Book of the Beginning? Surely you jest; those pages were stolen from Jibral a month ago!"

"We know where they are. And with the power of the Shadow, we can easily get them back," the woman sighed, walking back towards the kids. I followed her, unable to obey my orders and run; run away from sight, and continue what I was originally assigned; spying.

"Fine. Then I will come with you," I said suddenly, making the entire group stare at me in shock, "I have business with the Ruler of Gran Kingdom as well. I will stay out of sight if you wish, but I will be there, nonetheless. I will help you."

*.*.*

I didn't really know why I had uttered those words, but I knew that from that day forward, I would not regret them. If these people were as strange as me, then I would fit right in. I felt a sudden disgust pool into my gut, and I growled a little to myself. I felt like I was betraying my own instincts by doing this. It felt sickening.

"…Very well. You may come with us. It doesn't bother me if you walk with us or stay in the shadows. Do whatever you feel is necessary," the woman murmured, stepping away from the group, to walk into the trees.

"By the way, I suggest you at least introduce yourself to the group. You will be needing to communicate with us, after all," she whispered, and with that, she was gone.

*.*.*

"…Understood," I sighed, and with that, I padded over towards the group. In that moment, I felt so alien. It was as if I was betraying my own existence. What I had believed in since I was born…what was I doing?

*.*.*

_**Please R & R. **_

_**Also, I'm taking Blue Dragon requests if anybody wants them. For more information, check out my profile, and PM me with the details. Thanks.**_


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